Transfer of bees from a bee package to a hive

Almost any beekeeper sooner or later faces the question of expanding the apiary, and he is far from always able to cope with the problem by producing layering from existing bee colonies. Therefore, in the presence of an investment resource, the beekeeper most often buys bee packages in the spring from large beekeeping farms.

Upon the arrival of the order, many beekeepers have the question of how to transplant bees from the bee package into the hive so as not to harm them and create conditions for early development?

The content of the article

  • 1 Cellular and Cellular Packages
  • 2 Preparing for a transplant
  • 3 Transplant process (cellular package)
  • 4 Transplant process (cell-free package)
  • 5 About adding
  • 6 Inspection in a day

Cellular and Cellular Packages

In order to correctly transplant a package of bees into the hive, you need to find out in which package the family was sent – in a cellular or non-cellular. Because the transplant in both cases requires different approaches.

In a honeycomb package usually there are 4 or 6 frames, of which there should be at least two brood and 2-3 feed frames, and at least one of them is honey-pepper. The bees themselves must be at least 1,5 kg and the uterus must not be older than 2 years.

Many people prefer to purchase non-cellular packages because of the relative cheapness of purchase and transportation, ease of care in the first month, as well as minimization of labor costs and funds for the prevention and control of bee diseases.

Cell-free bee package should include at least 1,2 kilograms of bees of different ages, a queen bee in a special cage, at least a kilogram of feed in the form of a sugar-honey dough, as well as water. Moreover, food and water should be available to all bees during the entire period of their transportation.

Preparing for a transplant

Transplanting a bee package into a hive requires careful preparation of the apiary.

First of all, it is necessary to clean and disinfect the hives intended for the settlement of the acquired bees, especially if they have already been in operation before.

Read: About disinfection inside the hive in different ways

It must be remembered that dampness, mold, and foreign odors can cause a family to be planted..

The hives must be placed in advance in the designated places, the required amount of sushi and waxed frames must be brought, drinking bowls with water must be installed.

Transplant process (cellular package)

cellular

It is better to replant in the late afternoon, first you need to give the packages the opportunity to settle a little in the shade so that the bees calm down after transportation.

The transfer of a cellular package is carried out as follows:

  1. The required amount of sushi and at least two frames with foundation are set in advance in the hive.
  2. The package must be placed at the back of the hive, open it and move the frames as quickly as possible, keeping their position relative to the entrance.
  3. The insects remaining on the bottom and walls of the package are shaken out onto the frames in the hive, sweeping away with a brush if necessary.
  4. If the queen arrives in a cage, you will need to place the cage between the frames and let the bees release it themselves.
  5. The entrance narrows for a maximum of 2-3 insects.

Please note that the frames with foundation should be placed immediately behind the brood ones to awaken the building energy of the family. Then dryness is set to enable the uterus to immediately begin sowing. If necessary, the bee family must be insulated.

Transplant process (cell-free package)

uncell

The infinite package can be transplanted purely onto a foundation, or onto a standard set of frames with dry and two waxed ones. You need to give them on the basis of one frame for 300 grams of bees, i.e. 1,5 kg of bees will require 5 standard frames or 7 multi-frame frames.

Process features:

  1. If the uterus has arrived in a cage, you can place it near the frames, and lower the package itself to the bottom of the hive and open it. The bees themselves will move to the queen.
  2. If the queen is among the bees in a bag, the bag simply spills out onto the frames or the bottom of the hive.
  3. If the bag is transplanted to a pure foundation, you need to immediately organize feeding the bee colony with carbohydrate food, as well as provide them with water.

Read more:

Candy as a top dressing

Sugar syrup for bees

Feeding the colonies with old honey

Honey feed for feeding bees in spring, autumn, winter

About adding

Transplanting a bee package into a dadan hive is practically no different in terms of preparing and completing nests.

However, the bag itself can be placed in the lower case. Or set the cage with the queen at the bottom, and put the bees on the frames in the upper body (in this case, the insects themselves will crawl to the “queen”).

Inspection in a day

After a day, it is necessary to inspect the transplanted bee colonies.

The queens should start sowing, the flight bees should fly around and start delivering nectar and pollen to the hive, the workers should start building honeycombs on the foundation..

If necessary, the bee colonies need to be insulated. In cold or free-flowing weather, they can be fed with carbohydrate food.

Read more: Content of batch bees

The beekeeper must examine the forage combs for the presence of bee bread in them, and in case of its absence or insufficient quantity, it is necessary to give a bee bread frame from his reserves or provide a protein one. Otherwise, there will be no normal development of the family!

Read: About protein feeding

If all the above-described signs of the well-being of bee colonies are present, they can be enhanced with one or two brood frames at the exit from old colonies (already living in the apiary). This will significantly accelerate the growth of new nests and help them gain sufficient strength for the main trick.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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